Sayonara, anata
by Scooter
Summary: A main character dies, his wife vows vengence. But that's the end of the story. So what's going on here?
1. Prologue

Sayonara, anata 

Disclaimer:  I make no attempt to own any of the characters within the following story except for my own.  All Ranma ½ characters belong to Takahashi Rumiko and Viz Video.  Please don't sue; you won't get much.  Very AU, and potentially dark, so if you don't feel like reading further, or disagree with the author's ideas, you are in no way, shape or form obligated to read.

Flames will be used for heating.

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The young wife sat in the hospital room where her husband was.  His form was barely discernable amid the machines beeping and whirring.  Bags of fluid provided her husband with necessary nutrition and vital fluids; another machine sustained his breathing while a third monitored his vital signs.  What didn't the stark white sheets cover was covered with bandages over the scorched flesh.  This gave the impression that the patient was just a man-shaped lump of cloth, which wasn't too far from the truth at this point.  "Why?"  She asked her husband, tears running down her face.  "Why didn't you back off when you had the chance?"  Her only answer was the steady, rhythmic sound of the respirator breathing for her husband.  

She dried her tears and began to babble about her day, how both families were handling his hospitalization, how the manhunt on two continents was progressing—one of his assailants was found dead, apparently by her own hand.  She talked about how her little sister still can't cook, of how much she enjoyed the honeymoon, and how in eight months there would be an addition to the family.

Alarms began to sound as her husband's heart began to fail and go into ventricular fibrillation.  Immediately the crash team ran into the room.  He was taken off the respirator, and CPR was begun immediately.  "Charge 250," the doctor ordered.  The defibrillator hummed as the capacitor was charged.  She grabbed the paddles.  "Ready.  Clear!"  The patient had a jolt of electricity through his heart, trying to jump start it as it sat quivering, not providing any life sustaining blood.

"Still in v-fib," a nurse said.

"Epi, and charge to 300."  Artificial adrenalin was pushed, as the capacitor charged higher.  "Ready.  Clear!"  A higher jolt of energy passed through the patient's heart.  The monitor showed it trying to stabilize, but remained in v-fib.  "Charge at 350.  Ready.  Clear!"  The third charge shot through his heart, stabilizing it for a moment, but the damage was too severe.  The heart's electrical nodes shut down, causing the heart to shut down.  And when that happens, no amount of defibrillation will restart the heart.

The doctor looked at the monitor.  "Flat line," she simply stated.  "Time of death, 2130 hours."  The crash team disconnected the defibrillator and other equipment from the patient.  The recently widowed wife moved from the corner she occupied and walked to her husband, tears easily rolling down her face.

She knelt next to his bed, and took her husband's limp arm.  "I always loved you.  From the moment you walked into my life, I loved you.  I was scared when I foisted you off on little sister when you showed up, but she corrected that mistake.  And for that simple act of kindness, I will forgive her for all the abuse she put you through for two years.

"And I will make those that did this to you pay, and pay dearly."  As she stood, she leaned over and kissed her late husband's forehead.  "I will see you in the next life, as soon as my quest is done," she vowed, before she stealthily left her husband's room.  "_Sayonara, anata_."


	2. Chapter 1

See Chapter 1 for Disclaimer.

A Year Ago…

"That…that…" Akane was trying to come up with an appropriate phrase for her erstwhile fiancé, that's just how pissed off she was at him this time.

"What exactly did he do this time?"  Nabiki asked nonchalantly.

"I caught him making out in his girl form—with Mousse of all people!  It isn't bad enough he's got all his…_sluts_ to cheat on me with, but now he's cheating on me with guys!  Next thing you know, I'll probably catch him sleeping with Ryouga."

The middle Tendo took a deep, cleansing breath.  She'd heard about what happened through her network of informers, and Ranma wasn't at fault for this latest blow up.  A water balloon, courtesy of the Furinkan hentai squad, had hit the pigtailed boy.  Kodachi saw the "redheaded harlot" who vied for the affections of her "Ranma-sama", and hit the pigtailed girl with a bouquet of roses with a more effective paralysis powder she'd been working on.  Mousse mistook the paralyzed redhead for Shampoo and acted out one of his…safer fantasies regarding the Amazon.

Akane saw the myopic Chinese boy glomp her aquatransexual fiancé, and nailed both of them with a convenient lab table before storming off in a huff.

"Akane," Nabiki said, "have you ever thought that what happens to Ranma is not necessarily his fault?"

"How can it not be his fault?  He doesn't do anything when his harem latches on to him.  He always insults me, doesn't eat my cooking, and had never taken me out on a date.  As far as I'm concerned, I wish I'd never met the jerk!

"I'm going to tell Daddy that I want out of the engagement and I want that jerk out of my life."

As her younger sister stormed off, Nabiki pursed her lips.  "This is not good.  She wants out of the engagement, then I'll have to do something before Daddy and Ojisan do something…stupid."  She sat at the dining room table, and pulled out a pad of paper and began doodling while she thought.  "The Saotome-Tendo agreement demands that a Saotome marry a Tendo.  Now, if Akane wants out of the agreement, that leaves two Tendo daughters left.

"Even though Daddy doesn't know it yet, Kasumi's been seeing her English teacher on the side.  Kasumi _could_ be engaged to Ranma, but still see her American on the side.  That would be a huge can of worms though.  And Ranma, even though he won't admit it, has a jealous streak.  And that could be…bad."

Nabiki sighed.  And she could hear her little sister yelling at their father and Genma.  "It looks like it's up to me to salvage family honor.  So much for me earning my first million by the time I'm thirty."  She was about to stand when her father and pandafied "uncle" came into the dining room.

"Nabiki, we need your help," her father wailed.  "Akane refuses to even acknowledge Ranma's existence."  Genma was growfing in agreement with what his friend was saying.

"Have you asked Ranma about how he feels about this?"

Genma started pulling out signs.  [Of course not.  This is a matter of honor.  The feelings of my honorless son don't count in this matter.]

Nabiki held her tongue, even though she wanted to yell at the panda man.  His twisted notions of honor were what caused most of his son's problems.  Especially since Ranma was required to marry two girls to unite their respective families, and marry a third because her honor was at stake.  The fourth fiancée was just a bloody loon.  Counting to ten slowly, she formulated her plan.  "I will agree to be engaged to Ranma, but only on the following conditions.

"First, we will be allowed one year to get to know each other before we formalize our engagement, dependent on condition two.  Second, if at any point during our year we do not get along for a significant length of time, or find that we are not compatible, or Ranma chooses to wed one of his other fiancées, then the Saotome-Tendo union will be held off at least until the next generation.  Third, the two of you will not interfere with Ranma and I in any way, shape or form.  To do so would be considered a breach of contract, and will delay the union until at least the next generation."  She smirked at her potential father-in-law.  The panda began sweating…heavily.  "This contract is nonnegotiable once we agree on these terms. To do so would be considered a breach of contract."

"Why are you doing this to us, Nabiki?  Don't you love your family?"  Soun wailed, the tears starting.  "Don't you trust your father?"

Nabiki fixed the dim-witted duo with a firm gaze.  "Do you really have to ask?  Would you like me to site chapter and verse about how the two of you screwed up Ranma and Akane's engagement?"  The fathers both flinched at the venom coming from the middle Tendo's voice.  By trying to force the engagement, it ruined whatever peaceful life the two teens had hoped for.  "Now then, are we agreed on the terms?  Mind you, even if you try to dump this in Kasumi's lap, she has her own methods of revenge.  Which makes me your best and only choice."  Soun nodded.  "Ojisan?"

[Agreed] the panda signed.

"Good.  I'll have a contract drawn up tomorrow for the signatures of all parties involved."  With that, Nabiki stood and left the fathers to their own devices.

[I would have preferred it if we went to Kasumi first,] the panda "said".  [I _really_ don't like dealing with Nabiki.]

"I know, Saotome.  I know."

It was unfortunate that Nabiki's pigtailed fiancé walked through the compound's gate.  Even up in her room, Nabiki could hear the mighty morons jump on Ranma for being a faithless fiancé to Akane, and his reply that nothing was ever his fault, and how no one ever believed him, least of all his fiancée.  Two meaty slaps could be heard, followed by the sounds of his footsteps up the stairs.  Nabiki made her choice, and decided to meet her fiancé head on.

"Ranma," she said, intercepting the teenage martial arts god in the hall, "I take it that our fathers told you the news."  

"News, what news?"  Ranma said.  "All they told me was that I should go and make up with Akane for being so faithless to her.  It wasn't my fault that Mousse thought I was Shampoo."

Nabiki squirreled her face.  "Oh, they are in so much trouble," she said, as she dragged her fiancé into her bedroom.  "Akane has given up entirely on the engagement."

Ranma snorted.  "That's nothing new.  She breaks it every time she feels like it.  And its not like she wanted to be engaged to me in the first place; you and Kasumi all but forced it on her."

Nabiki actually managed to look abashed, which threw Nerima's favorite aquatransexual for a loop.  "I…I know.  Our fathers asked me to honor the agreement."

"Oh great.  Does this mean I'm going to be sold to my other fiancées for dates like the last time?  Or you get to take dirty pictures of my girl side for Kuno and the rest of the perverts at school without having to bother Akane?"

"Ranma, I…" Nabiki was about to say she would be a better fiancée this time around, but Ranma interrupted.  "I don't trust you, Nabiki.  You've hurt me too many times to forgive you."

"Ranma, please, all I ask is for one chance.  I promise that I won't screw it up this time."

The pigtailed teen looked at his new fiancée.  "I'll give you this one last chance.  And I'm not going to ruin Kasumi's chances with her 'friend', because if it doesn't work out between us, _I'm_ declaring the Tendo-Saotome agreement void."

Nabiki smiled.  And it wasn't one of her usual "I know something you're going to pay me for" smiles.  It was, for all intents and purposes, a warm, friendly smile.  And that seemed to make Ranma unsettled.  "Oh, I understand entirely.  Would you like me to help you with your studies?  I've already had your classes, so I have a good idea of what to do.  And I've seen your grades, so I know what help you need."

"Yeah, I guess so."  Ranma said, nervously at the prospect.

Downstairs, the dimwitted duo looked up at the ceiling.  "They're not arguing," Soun said.

[It's strangely quiet.  You don't think…].  The rest of the comment was left unsaid.

"Ranma…and Nabiki…I don't want to have a shotgun wedding," Soun said, as he began to wail.

[Then we need to interrupt them!]  Both fathers ran up the stairs and threw open the door to Nabiki's room.

"Yes, Father?"  Nabiki asked, pencil in hand.

"What?  How?  When?  Aren't you two supposed to be…" Soun said confused at the sight of the two fully clothed teens.  

"We _were_ studying, Mr. Tendo.  Pop, did you say what I think I said?"  Ranma said, looking up from his English text.

[I did no such thing, foolish boy.]

"You do realize that I _could_ consider this a breach of contract, Daddy.  You are, after all interrupting our study session."

Both fathers went into the Crouch of the Wild Tiger.  "Gomen nasai, gomen nasai," they said, bowing as they backed out of the room.

"What was that all about?  What contract?"

"Oh, just something I did to keep our fathers from interfering," Nabiki said.  "I'll tell you about it later."

"Um, ok."  Ranma replied, going back to his homework.

  
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	3. Chapter 2

_Sayonara, anata _

See Prologue for Disclaimer

Ranma sat on the roof of the Tendo home, reflecting on what changes had been wrought in the Nerima status quo in the past 24 hours. Akane had shown her homicidal boy-hating side when she pummeled her now former fiancé before pretty much dumping the engagement on Nabiki's lap. The fathers were no help, ambushing Ranma when he got in and try and force him to apologize to Akane to take him back. That was solved by a little application of "gentle" persuasion—in the form of his fists. Then toss in the fact that while Ranma was studying with Nabiki, the fathers thought that they were…a band of red spread across the pigtailed fighter's face as he thought about that. And, even though he wouldn't admit it, the whole idea of "that" embarrassed him to no end. And it wasn't like his father did the fatherly thing at some point and gave best martial artist of his generation the "talk". Nope, anything that wasn't part of the Art was a distraction from the Art, which, in Genma's eyes, included social skills and sex ed.

He shook his head, trying to clear those thoughts about Nabiki in that particular way, and tried to focus. Dinner had started out quieter than usual, as tense electricity filled the air around the table. Nabiki had taken Akane's usual spot next to Ranma; Akane was sitting next to Genma, where Nabiki would have sat.

At least, in the pigtailed martial artist's mind, Nabiki hadn't been all over him, like Shampoo or Ukyo would be. Nor was she glaring at Ranma, trying to insult him or taunt him. Instead, dinner had been a pleasant experience for both families. Nabiki had asked Ranma how his day had been, and patiently listened to what had happened that caused the switch in engagement without prejudice. She'd known about what had happened through her contacts, so it was already old news, but she wanted to show Ranma that she could be a good fiancée to him.

"Why me," he asked the stars. "Why does all this happen to me?" The stars, as was their want, refused to answer. Not getting the answer that he wanted, Ranma flipped off the roof, and into the room he shared with his father. He snorted when he saw the fat panda sprawled across most of the room. He grabbed his sleeping bag, and walked out of his room to go sleep in the Dojo.

Nabiki opened the door to her room, to go get a glass of water. Sleepily, she noted that Ranma had his sleeping bag in his arms. "Where are you going, Saotome? And why do you have your sleeping bag in your arms?"

"Pops is sprawled out in the guest room. I was gonna go sleep in the Dojo."

"Oh," there was a hint of disappointment in her voice. "Ranma…if you want, you can sleep in my room."

"Nah, that's okay, Nabs. Your sister and the old men might get the wrong idea. Thanks though," her pigtailed fiancé replied, as he headed down the stairs.

After getting her glass of water and falling asleep again, Nabiki began dreaming. The dreams started out pleasant; her wedding at her grandfather's shrine in Okayama with just a few close family members (no, Dumb and Dumber weren't there), the newlywed couple on their honeymoon to Fiji, her acceptance to Todai's Business College, and her parole…er, graduation from Furinkan High. Her pigtailed husband by her side the whole time, and supporting her decisions to get her business degree. It was followed by his eventual surprise at not only getting into Todai, but on a full athletic scholarship; which would cover all costs to the prestigious university.

But the dreams took a darker turn, as the various ex-fiancées and rivals began their attacks against the couple. They began with a certain lavender-haired Amazon catching the couple off guard; then the other ex-fiancées and the rivals—Kuno with bare steel, Ryouga with some new technique based on his Shi Shi Hokodan, Mousse with everything in his arsenal—then her husband getting grievously injured in the resulting fight.

With a start, Nabiki woke up to the sounds of a battle raging. She rushed downstairs, not even bothering to pull on a robe; concern etched on her face, as if what she had dreamt had come to pass. She watched as her fiancé was beating the tar out of his father. Genma was no longer a challenge for his son, although Ranma held back in their morning sparring. This morning, however, the pigtailed warrior had other issues on his mind, namely why his father continued to choose how he lived his life. Nabiki grimaced as she watched the aquatransexual let loose with techniques that would have killed a lesser person. Her grimace turned to a smile as she watched the larger half of the Dim-witted Duo hit a large stone in the koi pond before sliding into the pond itself. An unconscious panda floated where Genma had been.

"Nabiki, are you alright," Kasumi asked.

The middle Tendo jumped with perceived fright when her sister asked that question. "What makes you ask, sis?"

"The fact that the last time I saw you this worried was when Mother was dying."

Nabiki hadn't realized she'd let her emotionless mask slip when she was watching her pigtailed fiancé fight with his father. "I…it's nothing, oneechan," she replied hastily.

"If you want to talk about it, imouto-chan, I'm always here."

"Ah…thanks, Sis. I'm going to get ready for this morning." Nabiki said kind of hurriedly.

Kasumi looked at the retreating form of her younger sister and sighed. "She's in love, and is afraid for the one she loves. That's a good thing; she's finally coming out of her shell."

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Nabiki and Ranma were walking to school, the latter on the fence along the canal as the former stayed firmly earthbound. "Ranma, how come you like to walk along the fence, and not on the ground?"

"I'm surprised Akane didn't tell you after I told her," he replied, matter of factly. "Pops taught me to treat everything as training. I like to walk on the fence for balance training. Plus it gives me an advantage in that I can see if someone is coming."

"Like one of your rivals," she asked.

"Yeah. You have no idea just how much of an advantage it is to be able to where a certain Lost Boy's battlecry…"

"RANMA! PREPARE TO DIE!" Speaking of the devil, the fence Ranma was on crumpled like it was made of paper under the assault of Ryouga's combat umbrella. The pigtailed heir to the Saotome School vaulted over the attack to the other side of the fence.

"What is it this time you're blaming me for, P-chan?"

"Akane told me all about how you were cheating on her yesterday. With Mousse of all people! God you really are sick," the Lost Boy said, as he came down for another strike.

"Like I really wanted to kiss Mousse, Ryouga. Kodachi paralyzed me and Duck-boy thought I was Shampoo." Ranma vaulted over the umbrella, as it came down and took out another section of the fence.

Ryouga saw who was with his pigtailed rival. "So, now you decided that Akane wasn't enough for you, and now you're cheating with her sister? That's just too perverted, even for you, Ranma."

"It's not like I wanted to be engaged to her, Pig-boy. The old farts did it." Ranma ducked under another swing of Ryouga's combat umbrella.

"Bah! You're probably sleeping with her to pay off your debt. It sounds like something you'd do, you Casanova."

"And how would you know what kind of debt I've got with Nabiki, eh? Have you been reading her ledgers?" Ranma continued to dodge and weave under Ryouga's umbrella, as he led P-chan in a spiral. "If you are, then that makes you both a pervert and a sneak. What ever honor you had is lost. Like you are, Ryouga." With a snarl, Ryouga intensified his attack against his pigtailed nemesis, and actually scored a hit on him, tearing the sleeve of his silk Chinese shirt.

"Ha! Take that Ranma!" Ryouga was smirking now. "What are you going to do, fem-boy? Run off like the coward you are?"

Ranma backed off, and fingered the tear in his sleeve. There was a trick he'd been practicing combining his Moko Takabisha with the Kachuu Tenchin Amaguriken. "Nice shot, P-chan. Now try this on for size. Tiger's Pride Assault!" He started punching, but instead of hitting Ryouga, mini ki projectiles were being fired at the Lost Boy, like rounds out of a Gatling gun. There was even the familiar sound of the air tearing as projectiles found their target. "You've insulted my honor, Pig-boy, my fiancée's honor, and my family honor."

Ryouga grunted as he bore the brunt of the attack. Even though the energy of the individual projectiles were low, 500 or so threw him back, through the fence he'd destroyed and into the canal. An unconscious P-chan floated to the surface, and drifted downstream with the current.

Nabiki looked at the pig, then at Ranma, then back at the pig. "Ryouga's Akane's pet P-Chan," she asked her fiancé incredulously.

"Um…yeah," Ranma replied.

"How did it happen?" She asked, as they resumed their walk to Furinkan.

"I swore upon my honor that I'd never tell anyone his secret."

"Then he's been taking advantage of you, Ranma. Like everyone else." Nabiki looked at the ground. "Including me," she said quietly.

Ranma looked at her, and sighed. "I'm the cause of his curse, at least indirectly," he said. "Remember when I told you about the fight Ryouga and I was supposed to have?" Nabiki nodded. "He followed me and Pops to China. After we got cursed at Jusenkyo, I was chasing baka panda through the woods. I sorta ran over Ryouga, although Pops shoved him off the cliff to get at me. He fell into the Spring of Drowned Piglet."

"You've got to be kidding me," Nabiki said, incredulously.

"Think about it, Nabs," Ranma countered. "Whenever P-chan's not around, who shows up? Why is there always Ryouga's pack and umbrella somewhere in the house? How come P-chan had the same tattoo Ryouga had? How come Ryouga usually blames me for Akane's problems? Come on, Nabs, you're one of the smartest people I know, as well as the most observant. Think about it."

"My god," Nabiki slowly drawled. "I should have. All those times I saw you sneaking into the Akane's room, I thought you were going in there for reasons other than what I suspected. When she was sleeping with Ryouga, as P-chan, you were trying to protect her honor."

As the couple approached the gates of Hell…er, Furinkan, Ranma nodded. "It finally dawned on you, didn't it? I don't blame you, Nabs. Ryouga can be a sneaky bastard when he needs to be." Although, when Ranma looked up at the gates, he saw that the wrought iron sign that normally said "Furinkan Koukou" was missing, replaced by "All Hope Abandon, Ye Who Enter Here". He did a double take, and saw that the original sign was back. "Maybe all those love potions, paralytic agents, and Akane's cooking are finally going to my head," he muttered very quietly.

"Ranma, could you do me a favor, please?" Nabiki asked in her cutest voice.

"Sure, what is it?"

"QUIT CALLING ME 'NABS'!"

"So, the foul daemon Saotome has finally shown his true colors and is working in conjunction with the black hearted Mercenary, Tendo Nabiki, to enslave my fierce tigress, Tendo Akane, and the healthy, flame haired pigtailed goddess." Sorry, guys if you might have thought it was Virgil taking Dante Alighieri on his guided tour of the infernal regions.

"Kuno, not now," Ranma growled, as the biggest pervert in Nerima, next to Happosai, stepped out from behind his usual tree. Before the pigtailed wonder got a meter away from him, the aforementioned True Blunder began spouting his bad poetry about how he would smite the Foul Sorceror Saotome. Which, of course, ended in usual fashion, with Kuno landing on his back. "I'll see you at lunch, Nabs?"

"Of course, Ranma," she said with a smile. Nabiki may have been forced into the engagement, but she was actually enjoying it. Ranma was the most honorable person she'd ever met, honorable to a fault, in fact as Ryouga's continued abuse of her fiancé's honor proved. "Ja," she called, as she picked up the unconscious Kuno

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"It seems I have to implement some damage control, thanks to Akane."

"It's not going to involve pictures, is it?"

"I don't know yet, Ranma-kun," she replied, as the couple sat as far away from the school as possible, and still be on school grounds. "You don't know how many times I've been asked if I'm either carrying your child, how much I'm bilking you for, or if you're for sale or rent."

Ranma shook his head knowingly, as he ate out of his bento. "At least with the first two, I do know how many times. And I've got Hiroshi and Daisuke asking me how you are in bed." Both teens blushed at that. "I've threatened to…quiet them both permanently."

"And how did you manage to do that?"

"That's a secret, Nabs," he replied.

Nabiki smiled, and ignored his pet name for her. "Ranma, I have a question to ask you."

"Ok, shoot."

If she were standing, she'd be sliding her foot along the ground, as she tried to figure out how to say this. "Ranma, I…"

"If it's to help out the household, Nabs, that's fine. I kinda figured you were the one taking the pictures of me and Akane. I just wish you'd asked me first, since helping out the Dojo financially is the least I can do. It's not like Pops is going to teach or anything." Nabiki smiled again at her accidental fiancé. _Man, she's got a cute smile,_ Ranma thought. _A heck of a lot cuter than her sister's. I wish I could have made up my mind when we arrived at the Dojo that rainy day, instead of having Akane forced on me. I think…no, I know I would have chosen Nabiki over the other her sisters. Kasumi's too much like a big sister; and Akane has…issues. I just wish I knew that before I got engaged to her._

"I know, Ranma. Ever since Mom died, and Daddy lost his students, I've had to figure out ways of keeping us off the street."

"And the pictures are the best sellers, I take it?"

"Yes. And I know I've caused you nothing but trouble with Kuno…at least with your girl side. I wish I could make it up to, Ranma."

_Man, she's done a complete one-eighty in the last twenty four hours,_ he thought. _If she keeps this up, I won't know what to expect from her anymore._ "Like I said, I just wish you'd asked before you started. But how do you think you were able to sneak up on a world class martial artist like me with you knowing someone was sneaking up on me?"

"That was your silent approval of what I was doing?" Ranma nodded, and got glomped by the middle Tendo. "Oh, thank you Ranma."

It was unfortunate for the pigtailed martial artist that his brain shut down the minute Nabiki glomped him, otherwise he would have responded, and maybe even come up with a few suggestions on his own.

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Author's end notes: Sorry about the Dante references, but it just flowed after mentioning the gates of Hell…er, Furinkan.

I also apologize for the brevity of this chapter and the long delay between chapters. Trying to write a good R/N story is tricky for me, because I have such high expectations of my own work and they're both canonical characters, so everyone knows who they are and how they act. Add a little writer's block, and I sit here banging my head on this story as I know what I want to write but not how to write it. About the only good thing I'll say about being in Iraq is I have plenty of time to think.

Author's updated end note (25 September 05): I'd like to thank Innortal for suggesting Ranma's new attack. If you're not familiar with the sound of a Gatling gun or Vulcan cannon (30mm GAU-8, 20mm M-61, 7.62mm Minigun), I think there are some sound/video files floating around on the internet. Or watch Terminator 2 when they're in Cyberdyne. Google is a wonderful tool.


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